A year had passed since Musashi dropped Ryu in the Crescent Moon Forest.
Ryu was no longer the boy he once was. Muscle wrapped around his frame, his body honed and shredded from relentless training. He stood taller now, and the innocence in his eyes had been extinguished—replaced by a cold, razor-sharp stare. The last traces of baby fat were gone, leaving behind a chiseled face that carried silent resolve. His long black hair trailed down his back, giving him a fierce, untamed aura.
Torn remnants of his kimono hung loosely from his shoulders, the once-pristine fabric in tatters. Exposed from the waist up and dressed only in black pants and weathered sandals, he held his training sword firmly in his right hand.
The tiger towered before Ryu, twice the size of any he had ever seen. Its suffocating aura is overwhelming. A deep scar cut across its left eye, giving its glare a feral, unhinged intensity.
Ryu showed no fear before the tiger. A bloodthirsty smirk curled across his lips as he spoke.
"Let's settle this once and for all. You're the only one I haven't defeated yet."
"ROOOOOOAAAAR!"
The tiger let out a deafening roar before hurling itself at Ryu in a blur of claws and fangs.
Ryu didn't panic. He rolled across the ground to evade the tiger, then quickly charged from the side, gripping his training sword with both hands, and swung with all his strength.
"CLANK!"
The tiger swung its claw in retaliation. Ryu adjusted his training sword mid-swing, managing to block the strike aimed at his head, but the sheer force of the blow sent him skidding backward toward the nearest tree.
"BAAM!"
Ryu's back slammed against the thick trunk, pain shooting through him, but he pushed himself upright. Wiping the blood trickling at the corner of his mouth, he fixed the tiger with a bloodthirsty smirk.
'Damn this fat cat… no matter how much training I've done since I arrived in this forest, I still can't overpower this tiger.'
'Oh, well, I will just use all the skills I developed in this forest I must defeat this tiger today I refuse to lose to it again.'
Ryu bent his knees, drew in a slow, steady breath, and muttered to himself.
"Dancing Crane Sword."
Ryu surged forward at full speed, and the tiger lashed out with its massive claws. With a fluid twist of his body, he slipped sideways, narrowly evading the strike, and drove his training sword into the tiger's flank.
Frustration creased Ryu's brow when he saw that his strike had only left a shallow scratch on the tiger.
'Damn it, I'm still not strong enough… though this time, at least, I managed to leave a mark. Last time, I couldn't even do that.'
Ryu danced around the massive tiger, his movements fluid and precise. With each rotation, he swung his training sword in rapid arcs, the steel flashing in the dappled light. Shallow cuts raked across the tiger's muscular flanks, streaking its fur with fine lines of crimson. The beast growled and lunged, but Ryu's relentless strikes kept it on the defensive, every movement sharp, calculated, and merciless.
"ROOOOAAAR!"
The tiger roared in fury, swiping its massive claw, but Ryu flipped backward with fluid grace, putting a safe distance between them.
'I can't improve by dragging this out. I have to finish this tiger once and for all in one strike.'
'My sword strikes need to be decisive and lethal. I can't rely solely on my arms or legs—every swing must channel the strength of my entire body, from head to toe.'
The tiger lunged at Ryu, its eyes blazing red as it descended into a berserk fury. Ryu didn't hesitate—he dropped and rolled across the ground, narrowly evading the beast's snapping jaws. In one fluid motion, he sprang upward, lifting his sword high above his head. Channeling the strength of his entire body—from his planted feet to the twist of his torso—he brought the blade crashing down toward the tiger's neck with devastating force.
"SQUASH!"
"ROOOOOOAAAAR!"
A fierce roar tore from the tiger's throat the moment Ryu's training sword struck its neck.
Ryu wrenched his training sword free from the tiger's neck with all his strength, then leapt backward to create distance between them.
He smirked as blood poured from the tiger's neck, dark and heavy against its striped fur.
'Good… all I need is another clean strike to its neck, and this fat cat is finished for good.'
Once he made up his mind, Ryu lowered his center of gravity and slipped into a well-familiar posture.
"Dancing Crane Sword."
Sliding past the tiger's claw once more, Ryu exploded upward toward its neck. With both hands locked around the hilt, he raised his sword high and hacked at the exact place he had struck before, driving his full-body strength into the attack.
"SQUASH!"
"ROOOOOOAAAAR!"
Ryu twisted the sword free from the tiger's flesh and jumped back, landing lightly on his feet.
The tiger staggered and lashed out wildly, colliding with the forest around it as blood flowed relentlessly from its neck.
After a tense pause, the tiger's struggles ceased, and it fell to the ground, still as the shadows around them.
______
After making sure the tiger was dead, Ryu collapsed onto his back, letting out a quiet chuckle.
"It's over… the fat cat is dead. Finally, I've defeated it."
"CLAP!, CLAP!"
Musashi appeared from behind a tree, clapping his hands with a wide, proud smile lighting up his face.
"You did exceptionally well. I'm proud of you, Ryu."
"Ryu's eyes widened at the sound of Musashi's voice. Struggling to his feet, he gave a wide, triumphant smile."
"Grandfather you are here."
Musashi chuckled and nodded his head.
Ryu walked toward Musashi, sheathing his training sword with a sharp click, and stopped directly in front of him.
Musashi studied Ryu from head to toe, his eyes sharp, measuring every detail. After a long, deliberate pause, he finally gave a slow nod of approval.
"It's time to go, Ryu. We're heading to Logue Town."
Ryu's eyebrows shot up at the mention of the town.
"Logue Town? Huh… that's a weird name for a town."
Musashi let out a low chuckle, shaking his head with amusement.
"Logue Town is the largest town in the East Blue, making it the perfect place for you to continue your training."
"Many pirates stop in Logue Town to resupply before setting sail for the Grand Line. There, you can battle numerous pirates to gain experience, and if any of them have bounties, we can hand them over to the Marines to earn some money."
Ryu's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile as he nodded, eyes gleaming with excitement.
He then walked over to a nearby tree and began digging at its base. When he finished, he retrieved the Devil Fruit he had hidden there.
Ryu stepped toward his grandfather and placed the devil fruit gently in his hands.
"Grandfather, I found this fruit after you left me here in the forest. It looks just like the Devil Fruits you told me about. I decided to keep it—it might be useful to us."
Musashi gave a soft smile, gently handing the fruit back to Ryu. He turned around and said.
"Keep this with you, Ryu. If you ever decide to go out to sea, you could sell this fruit for millions of berries on the black market."
Ryu's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the Devil Fruit in his hands, his gaze burning with insatiable greed.
'Millions of berries… I'll become a millionaire just by selling this Devil Fruit!'
Musashi's noticed Ryu's, eyes glinting with unrestrained greed. He threw his head back, laughter exploding from him like a storm breaking loose.
"WAHAHAHAHA! Come on, kid! it's gonna take us at least a whole month just to reach Logue Town—let's move!"
Ryu smiled and nodded, quickly trailing behind Musashi as they made their way to the shore.
_________
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A) Mc create his own crew (5)
B) Mc join Hawkeye crew (2)
C) Mc join red-haired pirates (5)
D) Mc join revolutionary army (1)
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